Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to dynamic illustrations and, more specifically, to a graphical interface for editing an interactive dynamic illustration.
Description of the Related Art
Due to the recent advances in mobile device design and web technologies, there is a growing demand for interactive illustrations to enrich the content found on media such as websites, e-books, and teaching materials. In contrast to static pictures and videos that are consumed by a passive observer, interactive illustrations respond to user inputs, providing a more playful or informative experience for the user. For example, an interactive illustration of a mechanical system invites exploration through interaction as users investigate hypotheses, which may help develop insights about significant relationships and causal patterns associated with the mechanical system.
Typically, crafting interactive illustrations is achieved through programming or scripting, using software platforms such as Java or Flash. Consequently, the artist crafting an illustration is required to work with abstract textual representations of the various visual elements included in the illustration and of any interactive behavior between those visual elements. To obviate the need for such programming skills, researchers and practitioners have developed graphics tools for authoring interactive illustrations that rely on techniques such as drag-and-drop interaction, sketching, and visual programming. While powerful, these tools are tailored for special-purpose applications, for example, fluid flow visualization, and usually do not allow an author to edit interactive behavior between visual objects in an illustration.
As the foregoing illustrates, there is a need in the art for more effective techniques for creating and editing interactive dynamic illustrations.